Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904,
pp 730-732 [McCracken]

     ROBERT B. PHILLIPS, a prominent business man and citizen of
Paducah, Kentucky, is a native son of this city, where his birth
occurred on the 29th of June, 1864, his parents being Charles H. and
Mary (Nolan) Phillips, the former of a native of Louisville and the
latter of Paducah.  When a young man the father left Louisville and
came to this city, where for a time he was employed as bookkeeper
for the John Sherer wholesale grocery firm, but at the outbreak of
the Civil war he put aside all personal considerations and offered
his services to his loved southland, and was made an officer on
General Tillman's staff.  After the struggle had ended Mr. Phillips
took up his residence in Cario, Illinois, where he served as auditor
for the C. & V. Railroad Company, but on account of failing health
he finally returned to Louisville the city of his nativity, and
there his life's labors were ended in death.
     After the death of his father Robert B. Phillips returned to
Paducah with his mother, being then twelve years of age, and here he
attended school for one year.  At the age of thirteen he began work
in the store of F. & W. H. Picke, and afterward, for nine years was
an employe [sic] of Fowler, Lee & Company.  Going thence to New
York, he entered an importing dry-goods house, and later that of
Sylvester, Bell & Company, engaged in the same line of trade,
working in the capacity of traveling salesman for the last named
form, and in that manner obtained a thorough knowledge of the dry-goods
business.  Several years thereafter Mr. Phillips returned to
Paducah, and during the first year here managed a large dry-goods
store.  In 1894 he purchased an interest in the Ellis & Rudy dry-goods
establishment, with which he has ever since been connected,
and the firm of Rudy, Phillips & Company now holds a conspicuous
place among the leading retail stores of Paducah.  Mr. Ellis retired
from the firm in 1896.  In this establishment is found a complete
line of dry-goods, shoes, carpets, cloaks, suits and millinery, and
Mr. Philips devotes his entire attention to the dry-goods
department, while Mr. Rudy looks after the shoe business.  Mr.
Phillips is numbered among the young, progressive and enterprising
business men of Paducah, and in addition to his large mercantile
interests is also connected with many of the leading institutions of
this city, beintg a member of the commission firm of George C.
Wallace & Company; is president of the Alden Knitting Mills Company,
which give employment to two hundered operatives; is treasurer of
the Paduch Commercial Club; and is a director of the Paducah Textile
Company.  The commission firm of George C. Wallace & Company gives
mployment to seven traveling salesmen and are southern mill agents
for many of the large mills in the south.  They sell to the jobbers
and large retail firms in only the larger points.
     The marriage of Mr. Phillips was celebrated in 1894, when
Kathryn Webb became his wife, she being a native of Tennessee.  One
child has come to brighten and belss their home, Joseph Becker
Phillips, who was born on the 8th of December, 1900.  Fraternally
Mr. Phillips is identified with the Masonic order, holding
membership
relations with Plain City Lodge, No. 499, and both he and his wife
are members of the Broadway Methodst Episcopal church.

Phillips Nolan Sherer Tillman Picke Fowler Lee Sylvester Bell Rudy
Wallace Webb
=
IL NY TN

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/mccracken/phillips.rb.txt